Foodie Friday

Cantaloupe or Cantalope or Cantaloupe, however you spell it, it's delicious. It's my favorite summer fruit!
Do you salt yours? I love the juiciness the salt produces and the sweet and salty flavor.
I did some research and found out that cantaloupe is actually a squash and a member of the muskmelon family. A serving, about 1/8 of a cantaloupe, provides you with 400% of vitamin A, 100% of vitamin C, a ton of antioxidants, potassium, fiber and folate. So, you have no reason not to eat it!

Let an unripe cantaloupe sit on your counter for 3 or 4 days to ripen and enjoy........ now while they're in season!

We're off to the farmer's market today and guess what I'll be buying....yum!

More food at Foodie Friday.

A New Magazine and a GiveAway

A new magazine is soon to be launched and they're having a wonderful giveaway! Go check out the blog and awesome GiveAway.

I'm really looking forward to the magazine!

In the Spotlight

Recently, while thrift shopping I spotted this cutie. A chippy old school desk painted bright red and it reminded me of this.....

this...


and this.


It's Daisy Cottage.Kim at Daisy Cottage, has a unique decorating style, a true gift for pulling it all together and taking beautiful photographs for us to drool over. Her philosophy, "Let your heart be your home."

I emailed her to ask if she would mind being featured here for a mini interview and she graciously accepted.

When and how did your love of vintage items begin?
I think I have ALWAYS loved vintage items! I remember going to junk shops when I was younger with my Dad and one summer he worked part time at a place called Trash & Treasure and I got to go to the store with him and I loved it! I was intrigued with the old books, games, and what-nots and wondered about their history and the people who had owned them.
Oh, so that's when her love of old books began.

Did you, or would you, ever consider a different decorating style?
I have always loved cottage style decorating although with Daisy Cottage I did go a bit bolder with color and have been a little more "quirky" too. It has been SO much fun to play with this house! As much as I love and appreciate all types of interiors, I am a cottage girl at heart and will probably always decorate this way - in one form or another!

How much time do you spend on your blog?
I've never really added up the time that I have spent on my blog but I can say that it is a full-time passion and endeavor of mine and it is 100% my heart. I can step away from it for a few days or so, but then I return because I miss my readers too much! They are SO special and have given me FAR more than I have ever given them. I also do not have any kind of blogging schedule - I pretty much let it unfurl as my days do, unless I have a special post planned.

Miss Maggie is a big part of Daisy Cottage, she's a bit spoiled but oh so cute!


Whenever I see bright colors on vintage things I always think of Dear Daisy Cottage.
Thank you Kim. Sharing your beautiful heart and spirit inspires all who visit and Thank You for being in the Spotlight at Bungalow!

More Thrifty Finds

Hey, there's a great giveaway over at Our Creative Life....a beautiful rug in the colors of your choice! The rugs are so pretty! Hope I win one.



It's Thrifty Monday again, so here goes....


When I was in NY last week, my g'son and I went to a rummage sale and found some goodies. I got another piece of white pottery, it has markings on the bottom that I can't make out,
and he got a Melitta dual cup coffee maker for college. It just happened to be half price day, so we got these two things for only $3.00. I cleaned up the coffee maker, ran some vinegar and water through it and it worked great! That's the kind of bargain I love.

I found these monogrammed pieces of silver at the thrift store, $4.50 for 6 forks. I love these pieces even if my initials aren't N H D.

And, how about a piece of Guardian cookware for free! My sweet mother in law says this roaster has become too heavy for her and she passed it over to me! I mentioned it in this post. Sure hope this doesn't start a family feud. I thought she would give it to her daughter, but I'm thrilled to have it. Go check out all the other Thrifty Finds over at Rhoda's. Bargain hunting is contagious!

Pink Saturday, Pink Houses

This is my first ever Pink Saturday post. I drive by this house almost every day and would love to see inside. I'm sure it needs some updating, but it's so pretty and big too. If it were mine, I would pull out all the shrubbery that's overtaking the house and add some plants with burgundy hues, like barberries.



Another pretty pink house, this one from Webshots




Little pink houses for you and me!
Hope you enjoy Pink Saturday hosted by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

A little updating

To answer some questions I received recently after my posts on our camp in Leetonia PA.


Pa Grand Canyon is also known as the Pine Creek Gorge which is located in Tioga county PA.
The Cedar Run Inn is located near the shore of the Pine Creek in Lycoming county.

After posting about the Cedar Run Inn I received this email from Sharon;

I've been following your blog for a few months now and have been enjoying it very much. I was online today checking in at your blog and much to my surprise I see the Cedar Run Inn. My godfather, Stanley Dudkin and his wife Charlotte own the inn.

Wow! Isn't that great. I love getting emails like that. It truly is a small world.
I've been visiting the area for about 20 years now and it's one of the most beautiful areas I have ever seen.

******************

A little update on the chandelier epic, No the husband still DID NOT notice the make over! It's been almost 4 weeks now. He hasn't said a word. oh my.......

****************
I've been away for the last week and am now at home getting ready to start a few new projects.......
recovering a chair, painting some small pieces and finally getting around to that secretary desk,
that I started working on months ago.

Have a great day!

More of the M T Manor

We traveled back to the M T manor last week for a little relaxation and to clean up the cabin. The area near the PA grand canyon has to be one of the prettiest places on earth. In the village of Cedar Run is the general store where we stopped for ice cream.

Across the street is the Cedar Run Inn. An unexpected surprise, a beautiful old inn and fine dining in the middle of no where.

The frame of an old canoe is displayed in the rafters of the porch at the Inn.


There seems to be thousands of hummingbirds, with feeders all around the Inn.



Inside are antiques and the most beautiful dining room. Hunters and anglers wash up here before dinner.

We've eaten here many times and the food is wonderful. Several years ago we spent the weekend here with friends.
Heading back to the cabin now and enjoying the sights along the way.


Try to imagine the sound of the rushing water.






This was the first time I saw a bear and her cubs in the woods.

A six point buck in velvet, now that's a sight to behold. He wasn't too afraid of us, so I sure hope he doesn't become meat!


Even though I make fun of the cabin, it sure is a beautiful place to visit. I probably won't get back there again til next summer.

Hope you enjoyed the pics!

Mashed Potatoes 101

Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. Ask five people how they like their mashed potatoes and you’ll get five different answers. Ask five people how they make mashed potatoes and you’ll get five different answers again. It all depends on the mashed potatoes they grew up eating.

I prefer a stiffer potato that holds a lake of gravy without caving, while my husband likes his mom’s looser version, but then she never made gravy.

So, how do you make yours? Milk or cream? Do you heat the milk?

A ricer or a masher? I got this ricer for .25 at the thrift shop and use every time because it gets out all…..most of the lumps and produces smoother potatoes. Using a mixer will result in fluffy, whipped potatoes.

Do an online search for mashed potatoes and you’ll find lots of opinions on how to achieve perfection. Seems I was doing it all wrong..... Here’s what I learned;

Russets and other starchy potatoes are the best along with Yukon golds, my favorites. Peel and cube the potatoes, put into cold salted water to cover and do not overcook. Cook until soft but not falling apart. guilty Drain, do not rinse and return to the empty pot to further dry the potatoes. huh? Heat the milk heat the milk? while ricing or mashing and don’t add until the potatoes are completely mashed. oops Use room temperature butter. oops!

I had never heated the milk or used room temperature butter and I’m sure I always overcooked the potatoes, but for this experiment I was willing to try something different.

And they were really, really good! With stuffed peppers and tomato gravy they were delish.

Cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic, olive oil, evaporated milk, condensed milk, mayonnaise, sour cream, all make great mashed potatoes. For me, the more butter and salt the better.
The lowly potato, add to it lots of tasty fat and it's divine!